Chapter 9 Yaoer 9 The Second Miss and the Eldest Master
The young man's expression was earnest, his love brimming with passion, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, poised to burst through the soil and soar into the sky in a moment. He placed his heart before the girl, eagerly hoping for a response. His words, though garbled, were sincere and heartfelt. Unfortunately, the girl was naive, her mind still immature, unable to discern the value of his sincerity and unable to understand why.
Xun Shu blinked, looking bewildered: "Why are you telling me this?"
He Xuan looked at Xun Shu and felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton. He scratched his head, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. He walked around in circles for a few times before finally saying sullenly, "Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Xun Shu looked at him and realized that she seemed to have missed something. She lowered her eyes and thought seriously, but still couldn't figure out what she had missed.
She grew up in the mountains and later lived with Jiang Zheng. Both places were extremely simple environments. All she knew about family matters, love affairs, and romance were hearsay or from the bookstores. She had never personally experienced them, and no one had ever shared them with her. How could she possibly understand what He Xuan meant?
But she is not as dull as a rock.
It was as if something had changed at that moment, like a tender flower blossoming on dry land, or a new bud sprouting from a dead branch. Her heart felt warm, and the depression she had just felt dissipated at that moment, although she didn't know why.
"Why are you here?"
A shout came from not far away, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps, interrupting Xun Shu's chaotic thoughts. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Fang Yan and a thin girl.
The girl was frail and delicate, dressed in mourning clothes. Her eyes were swollen like peaches, her lips were purple, and her face was a faint blue. She lagged behind Fang Yan half a step, following his pace. Every few steps, she would secretly look up at Fang Yan, thinking she was being discreet and unnoticed.
Fang Yan brought the girl to Xun Shu and took the initiative to introduce them to each other: "This is the second daughter of the Zhao family, Zhao Jingrong."
After several people exchanged greetings, before Fang Yan could ask any questions, He Xuan spoke first, with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Why are you here?"
Fang Yan was stunned, wondering if this man wasn't quite thinking. He was the official overseeing the case, so who else would be here? But with outsiders around, it was inconvenient to argue with him. He just said in a muffled voice, "I didn't see you at the mourning hall, but I did see Miss Zhao, who was feeling unwell and about to faint. I wanted to take her back to the courtyard to rest, but I ran into you here instead."
He left Madam Zhao's yard and went to the mourning hall in the front yard to prove that Madam Zhao's autopsy had come to a conclusion. He Xuan understood and said nothing more, turning to say, "We witnessed a good show in the front yard and chatted with Zheng for a few more words."
"Did you get any important clues?"
He Xuan shook his head: "No. All the clues are scattered and superficial. We still need to find that bone and connect all the clues." He looked at Fang Yan and said something else, "If County Lieutenant Fang is busy, Ah Shu and I will go ahead. When County Lieutenant Fang is done, he can come to the coffin shop to find us."
Fang Yan glared at He Xuan fiercely, then said to Ni Daqiang beside him, "Brother Ni, please escort Miss Zhao Er back to the courtyard. I have something important to discuss with these two."
"yes."
Ni Daqiang escorted Zhao Jingrong and her maid away. Zhao Jingrong looked back every few steps, looking at Fang Yan reluctantly, but Fang Yan was like a stone man, unmoved at all.
He Xuan watched quietly, and suddenly realized that the person before him was no different from Xun Shu. He didn't know if he was pretending to be ignorant, or if he was truly as dumb as a blockhead. It was also at this moment that he suddenly realized why he should bother with Xun Shu, a little fool. As long as he had enough time, he could always let her see his true heart.
After Zhao Jingrong disappeared completely, Xun Shu sighed and said, "What a pity."
Xun Shu's words were vague, but He Xuan immediately understood what she meant and nodded, "Indeed, it won't be long."
Without outsiders around, Fang Yan no longer concealed his feelings. With a gloomy face, he sarcastically said, "I didn't know Brother He was so knowledgeable that he could even read faces."
He Xuan rolled his eyes. "I can't read faces, but I'm not blind." He raised his chin slightly in the direction Zhao Jingrong was heading. "He's so weak that he has to stop and rest after every two steps to catch his breath. How can he live long?" He turned his head and leaned in front of Xun Shu, smiling with a hint of flattery. "Am I right?"
Xun Shu wasn't used to someone suddenly getting so close. He slapped his handsome face, pushed him away, and said slowly, "More or less, but I can't say for sure. Although the black energy in her forehead lingers, she's not in a hurry. She doesn't have much energy left. If she uses rare and precious medicine to prolong her life, she might be able to live a little longer."
Hearing her words, Fang Yan felt a little annoyed. He had known Zhao Jingrong for a long time. She was like a younger sister to him, gentle and kind, never doing anything wrong. Over the past few years, he had watched his sister struggle daily with a disease she'd brought from the womb, never getting a moment's respite. He couldn't understand why she hadn't received God's mercy and had such an ending.
Fang Yan didn't want to dwell on this matter any further. He just wanted to solve the case as quickly as possible and comfort Zhao Jingrong's grief. He looked at the two people in front of him and said, "They've left. Tell me, what did you find just now?"
He Xuan summarized the key points of what had just happened and concluded with a comment: "When we spoke to Su Mei, she didn't mention anything about the relationship between Wang Fuwan and Zhao Yuanming. How could she not know? Even if she really wasn't the one who instigated this and she didn't know about it initially, how could Madam Zhao not have discussed it with her? She must have been hiding something."
"What about Zheng? Is she a suspect?"
He Xuan touched his chin and carefully recalled what had just happened: "She doesn't look like she's lying, but I can't rule her out just like that."
"She shouldn't be the murderer." Xun Shu suddenly said, "I looked at her face. Her facial bones are flat, her eyebrows are thin and soft, her cheeks are fleshless, and her eyes are a little empty. She didn't have a good life. She must have experienced a lot in the first half of her life. The second half of her life is unclear, but she didn't have any murderous aura."
The lack of a murderous aura meant that he was probably not the murderer. Fang Yan seemed a little unconvinced: "Are you sure?"
Xun Shu hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "The world is ever-changing, and I can only see a tiny part of it. There might be things I can't see."
He Xuan couldn't help laughing after hearing this confusing conversation: "Ashu has grown up and learned not to say things in a final way."
Xun Shu pinched the corner of his clothes, looking helpless: "I can't always cause trouble for you."
The sunlight fell on her eyelashes, casting a shadow on her cheek like a small fan. He Xuan looked at her like this, feeling distressed and secretly annoyed at himself for arguing with her just now.
She's just a little girl, he should just love and coax her. As a man, why should he be so serious with her?
He reached out and pinched her soft cheek, then smiled and said, "Ashu can do whatever she wants, and she will never be a problem to us."
Xun Shu stared blankly at the young man in front of him, not reacting for a long while. Fang Yan looked at the two people in front of him, feeling irritated and as if he were isolated. He interrupted unhappily, "Mrs. Zhao's corpse has been revealed. Do you want to know?"
Xun Shu came back to his senses and nodded seriously at Fang Yan: "I am thinking about it, Brother Fang, tell me quickly."
Fang Yan glanced at He Xuan, his expression smug yet somewhat defiant. He cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. Seeing Xun Shu's relentless gaze on him, he held his head high and spoke slowly, "It's no different from what we previously speculated. Madam Zhao died of drowning. The wound on the back of her head was inflicted before she died. The coroner's inference is that she was struck on the back of the head by a blunt object, causing her to lose consciousness, then fell into the water and drowned. No other wounds were found on the deceased's body, and she didn't fight with anyone before her death. The time of death was probably between 11:00 and 12:00 last night. There's nothing else special about the time."
He Xuan tsk-tsk'd a few times, his eyebrows raised as if cramping: "I thought there was some incredible discovery."
"You brat! You're just showing off your quick tongue!"
"It's better than your endless nonsense!"
Seeing the two of them arguing like two fighting cocks again, Xun Shu stood by with a complicated expression: "When you two get together, you act like three-year-old children. Isn't that embarrassing?"
Fang Yan's chest heaved violently. He took a deep breath and turned away from He Xuan. "Well, I won't argue with him." He paused and brought the topic back to Mrs. Zhao's case. "I'm going to look for the eldest son of the Zhao family, Zhao Yuanming. Do you want to come with me?"
Xun Shu nodded. "Of course. I haven't seen Zhao Yuanming since I entered the house today. Logically, he's the eldest son of the Zhao family and Madam Zhao's only biological son. He shouldn't be absent from such an important occasion today... I wonder if there's something hidden behind this."
He Xuan's eyes were full of agreement: "Ashu is right, let's go together to see what Zhao Yuanming is doing."
After saying this, he took Xun Shu and followed the servants leading the way to Zhao Yuanming's courtyard. After taking a few steps, he looked back at Fang Yan and said, "County Lieutenant Fang, hurry up and catch up! Is your legs not good enough to walk?"
Fang Yan took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the urge to abandon his scholarly manners and fight him. He gritted his teeth and replied, "Here I come."
-
Zhao Yuanming's courtyard was located at the northernmost end of the central road, sandwiched between the backyard garden and County Magistrate Zhao's study. The back door to the study courtyard was always locked, so the passage in front of the northernmost courtyard gate was usually only used by people in Zhao Yuanming's room.
The group walked to Zhao Yuanming's courtyard and saw that the gate was closed and there was no one guarding it.
Fang Yan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door to the backyard opened from the inside, revealing the face of a young man with a bitter expression.
The servant of the Zhao Mansion who had led the others here recognized this man and took the initiative to introduce him to Fang Yan, "This is the eldest young master's servant, Dan Mo." Then he said to Dan Mo, "This is County Lieutenant Fang, why don't you greet him?"
Commoners should kowtow when meeting an official. Dan Mo was about to throw himself to the ground in panic, but Fang Yan quickly caught him. "Forget the empty formalities. I'm here today regarding Madam Zhao's case. Where's Zhao Yuanming? Is he in the courtyard?"
Upon learning the identities of the people before him, Dan Mo, despite his reluctance, had no choice but to open the gate completely and let the few people in. He rubbed his hands as he walked into the courtyard, a little embarrassed, his eyes evasive. "After the eldest young master learned about the matter of the lady, he was heartbroken and suddenly fell ill. He is bedridden and I am afraid he will not be able to see you gentlemen. I will stay with you every day. If you gentlemen have any questions, why not ask me? I can answer for our eldest young master."
Fang Yan paused and looked at Dan Mo quietly without saying a word.
The yamen runners following Fang Yan shouted at Dan Mo, "Our lords are here regarding a murder case, not to reminisce with your eldest young master. As for you, stay in the courtyard and don't stray too far. We'll naturally have questions for you later."
After saying this, the yamen runner took a few quick steps to the main room door, intending to kick it open. Dan Mo ran to him in a panic, plopped down on his knees, and prostrated himself on the ground. "My lords, please don't embarrass me. The eldest young master hasn't gotten up yet. If you force your way in, I'm afraid I'll be punished!"
In the heart of this little servant, the words of the eldest son of the Zhao family are more important than those of the officials.
The blocked yamen runner was about to get angry when he saw Xun Shu, who had been following at the end, step forward a few steps, sniffed, and said, "You smell of alcohol." She lowered her head and looked at the servant kneeling on the ground, "Is your eldest master still hungover?"
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